Congressman Bob Barr, June 7, 2002

Nothing is more important to securing our nation's future than ensuring a high-quality education for our children. And, other than parents, teachers play the most important role in educating our children.

School teachers are America's unsung heroes. Day in and day out they dedicate themselves to helping prepare our children for the future. The quality of these teachers is a critical factor in the academic success of students. That's why it's so important we recruit and retain the very best educators available, and equip them with the training and tools they need to meet their commitment to students and parents.

I was proud to help pass President Bush's education reform bill, the No Child Left Behind Act, signed into law earlier this year. This important legislation will directly benefit an estimated 1.4 million Georgia public school children and 93,636 Georgia teachers. It also increases federal education funding for Georgia to more than $1.1 billion -- a 42.2 percent increase over 2000 levels - and requires every classroom in Georgia to have a highly-qualified teacher, while providing more than $75.2 million to train and retain skilled educators.

This bill was an important step toward restoring much-needed accountability, flexibility and local control in our education system, but when it comes to ensuring the quality and care of our teachers, I believe we can and must do more.

To that end, I have introduced The Educator Appreciation and Classroom Help Act (TEACH Act), which will directly improve teacher recruitment and training. Under this legislation, all educators, including parents who home-school, would receive a $1,000 tax credit, and be allowed to deduct up to $2,000 for in-class purchases, such as books and supplies. In addition, teachers would be allowed to deduct out-of-pocket expenses for "professional development," which includes continuing education in pursuing a master's or doctoral degree. This will make it easier for teachers to pursue professional development programs appropriate to the subject matter they teach in order to best meet the needs of their students.

While I continue to support a fundamental overhaul of our unfair tax code, ensuring the very best education possible for our young people must be a priority. This legislation will directly address the need to recruit and support quality educators, in a fair and focused way (unlike other overly broad and unfocused proposals, such as the one that would relieve teachers of all federal taxes). Combined with increased accountability and more parental involvement, we will meet the educational needs of America's students and ensure their teachers are treated with the fairness and support they deserve.

Bob Barr represents Georgia's Seventh District. He serves on the House Financial Services, Judiciary, and Government Reform Committees.